FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
February 23, 2006
Fighting for Winter
Global warming still has its doubters, but the heat is a very real problem in the winter sports industry. Skiing on dirt and snowboarding on rocks: not fun, not profitable. States that rely on winter wonderlands for employment, revenue, and tourism are already starting to get socked. So the industry is fighting back in its own way. Environmental groups are also jumping in, trying the sports angle with a campaign to save outdoor hockey. It's going to take more than a handful of athletes and some letter-writing to effect serious change, though. Plenty of people in colder climes are actually excited about milder winter weather (myself not included). Officials in Turin couldn't even figure out a way to dim the Olympic flame to mark the Kyoto Protocol's first anniversary. It's going to take the equivalent of a dozen Live 8s to even start to save winter and the businesses that rely on it. Selfishly, I hope that it turns around soon. The snowshoes keep getting dusty.
Posted by Alyssa Danigelis at February 23, 2006 12:23 PM | Category: sustainability |
6 Comments
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People in my area (upstate ny) have been kvetching about how lousy the fall colors were this past season. If these weather patterns continue, people will have to start heading to Canada.
On the flip side, I did hear something about global warming being good for wine growers.
Yea, let's all hear it for those poor resorts in Vail and higher up in Colorado, at a $295 a night rack rate, they must be hurting, poor babies. All those Hyatts going half empty, think of the $175 ski lift tickets going to waste and the Aspen hotel rooms gathering spider webs.
Ah, global warming...how the rich will suffer in the Rocky Mountain Highs.
Vail lift tickets aren't even half what you posted.
The author isn't worried about Vail. He's worried about the local communities that thrive on cross country skiing. They need tourists in Winter because...well farming in the mountains isn't doing it. Also I live near Boone NC and have written winter off. We used to get snow. Fishermen in Minnesota are going to fewer ice fishing days if the lows can't stay below 20.
The snow this season in Summit and Eagle counties of Colorado (Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mtn, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin) has been unbelievably good, following about 8 years of below average snow pack. And we all heard about the 14 feet of snow around Tahoe last season.
Whether you believe in climate change or not, this, like any other season, just goes to show that there is no such thing as "normal weather".
I believe this way.Winter has come ,but can Spring be far behind.Every company has to thin of the whole year.